Family
by Kataang9
Summary: An Alternative Universe of Final Fantasy XIII. Hope lost his parents when he was very young, so he was raised and cared for in the Farron Residence. However, one day, Hope discovers a hidden secret about his past. Lightning and Serah now has to be with him when he finds out the truth.


It's a lovely day in Bodhum. Lightning is right now in the living room drinking her coffee, just waiting for time to fly so she can go do her job at the Guardian Corps. She's living in this house with her sister Serah and her foster-brother Hope. Years ago, when he was just a baby, Lightning and her dad found Nora and Hope. Nora was dying and she handed Hope to Mr. Farron and Lightning.

Hope's been a fine kid for the family. For the last fourteen years, The parents, Lightning and Serah have been wanting to tell Hope the truth, but they don't know what to do. Now the parents are gone so Lightning and Serah are the only ones to tell them. Serah wants him to know the truth, but Lightning's not sure about when would be a good time, he's already sad that his foster parents are gone, thinking that they're his real parents, how would he feel when he finds out about his real family?

"Good morning." Lightning turns to see it's Serah.

"Morning, Serah." Lightning says. "You ready for school?"

Serah sits across from Lightning. "Almost, just waiting for Hope."

Lightning and Serah sits in silence. Lightning just slowly takes sips of her coffee. "Are you gonna tell him?" Serah asks.

Lightning sighs. "I don't know."

"We have to tell him. He'll find out sooner or later." Serah says.

"I know that, Serah. I just...I'm just trying to find the right moment." Lightning says.

"The right moment for what?" Lightning and Serah were startled to hear the third voice in the conversation.

They turn to see it's only Hope. Lightning and Serah looks at each other, exchanging looks, then back at Hope. "It's nothing." Lightning answers.

Serah stands up. "So, you ready for school?" Serah asks.

Hope nods. "Yeah."

Serah and Hope gets in the car, and Serah drives them to school.

Serah and Hope are now going to the same high school. Serah's a senior and Hope's a freshman. On his first day, Hope was really nervous, but Serah was glad enough to show the kid around. They hardly see each other since Hope's taking 9th grade classes and Serah's working on AP classes. They basically only see each other in Creative Writing and Lunch.

Lightning's at her desk in Guardian Corps. She doesn't do much at her job, just paperwork and, on most of the times, doing soldier duties. Lightning pauses at her work, to look at the picture frame of her and Serah as kids, with their parents and baby Hope.

Lightning still remembers that day when they found Hope:

* * *

_Lightning and her dad were on their way home from school. Back then, Lightning was known as Clair before her parents died, it was her real name._

_"So, Clair, how was school?" Mr. Farron asks._

_"It was great, daddy. I got an A on the test." Clair says._

_"Oh, that's good. I'm so proud of you." Mr. Farron says._

_Everything was going fine until they arrive at some crash site off the road. Mr. Farron is curious about it, so he parks on the shoulder to the road to take a look._

_Clair gets out of the car to stay with her dad. "Careful, honey." Mr. Farron warns her._

_Mr. Farron looks at the car, to find the dead driver, Bartholomew, inside. The car is in pretty bad shape, with the roof crushed, windows shattered and the sides bended. Anyone in this car pretty much had a zero chance of surviving._

_Mr. Farron and Clair looks at the other side of the car, to find Nora leaning against the car, breathing heavily with baby Hope in her arms. Mr. Farron checks on Nora, she's hurt pretty bad._

_"Ma'am, are you okay?" Mr. Farron asks._

_Nora looks at Mr. Farron weakly. She lays Hope beside her, sliding the baby closer to Mr. Farron. "My son...Hope." Nora coughs twice. "Please...take care of him." Mr. Farron looks at the baby as he picks him up. Clair stands next to her father, looking at the baby. Nora hands out an __envelope for Mr. Farron. "Give this...to him...when the time...is right."_

_Mr. Farron takes the note. Nora dies shortly afterwards._

_Mr. Farron and Clair takes Hope to their home. They introduced the baby to the mother and Serah. Serah's excited to have Hope in the family, she always did wanted a little brother. Ms. Farron thinks the baby's cute._

_The Farron's happily accepted Hope into the family._

* * *

A lot has happened since then. Lightning still wishes she could find the right moment to tell Hope about his real family. But when and how could she?

Later at night, Serah and Hope were fast sleep. Lightning stayed up at night. The girl isn't one who can fall asleep that easily. Sometimes, she can just lay in bed for three hours before she can fall asleep.

Hope is soundly asleep. He's starting to have dreams of seeing his whole family. In the living room, Mr. and Ms. Farron were on the couch, sitting next to each other, while Serah and Clair where sitting in front of them on the floor, and baby Hope was in the mother's arms.

Hope was happy to see this, but he's on the alert when he sees his dream shimmering. Hope notices everything turning dark and then his dream shows that he's at a hospital. Hope hears a baby crying.

"It's a boy." The nurse says. Hope looks into the room to find Nora on the hospital bad, holding onto the baby Hope, with her husband beside her.

Hope strangely finds these two people familiar. He can see the baby is him. "What should we name him?" Bartholomew asks.

"Let's call him...Hope." Nora says.

The name echoes into Hope's head as he's completely shocked to hear that. Hope stumbles backwards, until he trips. Normaly, he's fall on the floor, but instead, he falls down like there was a hole that's covered with leafs that are acting like floor tiles.

Hope falls until he crashes onto the bottom. In real life, he falls out of his bed, which woke him up from his slumber. Hope gasps slightly as his sits up. He can't believe what he just saw, even through it's just a dream.

"Mom." Hope whispers. Hope looks ahead, at his opened door. "Light..."

Hope leaves his room, makes his way to Lightning's room. Inside, he sees the soldier girl sleeping. He knows Lightning doesn't like to be disturbed in the middle of the night, but he wanted to know the truth.

"Lightning?" Lightning doesn't wake up. She just moans and shifts a little, trying to get comfortable. Hope makes his way to Lightning's side, and begins shaking her. "Lightning? Light? Please wake up."

Lightning opens her eyes. In the darkness, she can see Hope. "Hope? What are you doing up?"

"I wanted to ask you something." Hope says.

Lightning rubs the sleep from her eyes. "Whatever it is, can it wait until morning?" Lightning asks.

"No, it can't. It's really important." Hope says.

Lightning sighs tiresome. She sits up, turning on the lamp on her nightstand. "Okay, what is it?"

"I want to know the truth...about me." Lightning seems on the alert hearing that. "I had this dream...I saw us, and Serah...with our parents in the living room. We were all happy together." Lightning seems a bit irritated, she's seeing no importance in this story. "But then...I saw another vision. I was at the hospital and...this woman, she had a baby...it looked like me and...she named him Hope."

Lightning's expression softens, she can tell where this is going. Hope looks down, folding with his hands. "How can I say this...I want to know..." Hope looks up at Lightning and just say it. "Where did I come from?"

Lightning was silent. She doesn't know what to say really. Hope seemed to worry when she was quiet for too long. Lightning exhales. "I always knew this day would come." Lightning gets out of bed, making her leave. "Wait here."

Hope seemed a bit confused the fact she just left. He wanted to follow her to see what she's doing, but he knows she'll be back. Hope decided to sit down on the bed. Five minutes later, Lightning returns with Serah, and holding a picture frame. Lightning and Serah seemed a little sadden, which also confuses Hope, especially the part that Serah's here.

"Serah. Why are you here?" Hope asks. "What's going on?"

Lightning and Serah looks at each other, then back at Hope. "Hope...there's something we need to tell you."

Serah walks up to Hope, sitting next to him on the bed. "But before we tell you, we just want to see that we love and care for you so much."

"What are you talking about?" Hope asks.

"Hope, we've been keeping a secret from you." Serah looks at Lightning, giving her a look that's telling her to tell him.

Hope looks at Lightning expecting an answer. Lightning exhales then looks at Hope. "You...you maybe have been kind of...adopted." Lightning says.

Hope raises his eyebrows hearing that. "What? ...What do you mean?"

Lightning slowly approaches to Hope. She sits next to him. She looks down at the picture she's holding, then lays it on his lap, face down. "Here." Hope looks down at the picture. He picks it up, turns it facing him.

Hope was speechless at what the picture is. It's the two people he saw in his dreams, and him as a baby. "That is your real family. When you were a baby, you were involved in a car accident. Your parents died, me and my father...we took you in."

"Lightning and dad found that picture in one of the suitcases." Serah says.

"I..." Hope is pretty speechless. "I can't...I can't believe this." Hope stands up, walking away from the bed to the wall ahead. "All this time...My family...they were really."

"We're really sorry, Hope." Lightning says.

Hope looks down, trying hard to fight the tears. "All these years..." Hope drops the picture, then turns to face Lightning and Serah in a fit of rage. "You were all lying to me!" Lightning and Serah are surprised to hear Hope say that. "Why would you keep this a secret from me!? All these years, you've never said anything!?"

"Hope, we were just trying to keep you safe." Serah says.

"Oh, so it's better to not tell me the truth, and have me living a life of lies?" Hope yells.

Lightning stands up, walking to Hope, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Hope, just calm down."

Hope shoves Lightning off of him. "Get away from me! Just leave me alone!"

Hope runs out of the room, crying. "Hope! Wait!" Serah goes after him, but Lightning quickly stops her.

"No. Let him go. Let's just give him some space." Lightning says.

Serah soon realizes she's right.

In the morning, Lighting and Serah wakes up. They find Hope's room to be empty. They look all around the house, Hope's no where to be found. They started to worry. They begin to check around Bodhum. Finally, they find Hope all alone at the shores. They just watch the boy sitting there.

They figured he's still upset about last night, so they left him alone. They spent the day at home, doing some work, for Lightning, she read a book and Serah went out with her boyfriend, Snow.

Later in the evening, Lightning and Serah noticed Hope hasn't returned. They went back to the shores to find that he's still there. They need to talk to him, and they know it.

Hope sits at the shore, looking down all sad. Lightning and Serah approaches to the young boy. "Hope?"

"Leave me alone." Hope says, with a sad tone.

Lightning and Serah sits next to Hope. "Hope, we're sorry we kept this a secret." Lightning says.

"We've been meaning to tell you, but we just don't know what to say." Serah says.

Hope doesn't say anything. Lightning sighs. "Well, if you won't listen to us. Maybe you'll listen to your real mom."

Hope is confused hearing that, but then notices Lightning holding an envelope in front of him. Hope takes the envelope, just looks at it with confusion. "What is...this?"

"It's a letter from your mother." Serah answers.

"Before she died, she asked us to give it to you when you found out the truth." Lightning says.

"It's never been opened, so we've never read it. We know it would be special if you're the first to read it." Serah says.

Hope looks at Lightning, then at Serah, earning a nod from the both of them. Hope looks back at the letter, slowly opens it. Serah and Lightning looks at the envelope, hoping to see what the letter says.

Hope takes out the letter, opens it and reads what it says:

_Dear Hope,_

_If you are reading this, then you must know what happened to me and your father. I know you must be very upset to hear the truth of what happened to us. I just want to let you know that no matter what happens, we love you and we hope that you'll be living with a nice, wonderful family. You were always a wonderful son for me and Bartholomew, and I'm sure you will be too for your new family._

_Take care, my son. I love you._

_Nora Estheim_

_P.S. I want you to have this, so you'll feel safe with me and your father._

Hope looks confused at the P.S., then looks back in the envelope. He reaches in and takes out a necklace. A silver necklace with an outline heart chain. Serah and Lightning are surprised at the necklace.

Hope is pretty speechless. He rests the necklace on his hand, looking down at it. Lightning rests a hand on Hope's lap. "We're so sorry we didn't tell you before, Hope." Hope looks at Lightning as she talks. "We just want to let you know that we love and care for you so much, and all we want is to make you happy."

"Lightning's right." Hope looks at Serah. "No matter what happens, you'll always be our little brother. We're always here for you." Hope doesn't say anything, but looks back at the necklace. "If you want, we can go visit your real parents."

Hope slowly shook his head. "No..." Hope looks at Serah, then offers a little smile. "I don't need to see them. I'm happy enough to have you and Lightning for sisters. You two...feel like family to me."

Serah smiled. She couldn't help but cry, feeling heart touched hearing that. Hope turns to look at Lightning. She's smiling too. The two Farron sister's hugs Hope. Hope lays the necklace and the letter on his lap, and hugs the girls too.

"Thank you for everything. I love you Serah and Lightning." Hope says.

"We love you too, Hope." Serah says.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night." Hope says.

"It's okay. We understand." Lightning says.

The three of them ends the hug. Hope put on the necklace. Serah and Lightning thinks it looks good on him.

"How about we go out to eat?" Lightning asks.

"Sounds good. I am kind of hungry." Hope says.

"I know a great place." Serah says, standing up.

Serah takes Lightning and Hope to the NORA cafe. Hope's glad to have Lightning and Serah. Even though they're not really his sisters, he's happen to have them for a family.

Hope learns an important lesson that day. Family isn't made by blood, it's made by love.


End file.
